Graffiti wipe-out organised

PAINT OFF: Volunteers from the Tagout Trust and Henderson’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will be painting over tagging tomorrow.

Relevant offers

It might be the greatest paint-out the west has ever seen.

More than 200 volunteers will descend on West Auckland tomorrow to paint over tagging and graffiti in public areas.

The project is the brainchild of the Henderson branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and Tag Out Trust.

Every year the church works with a community group as part of the initiative Mormons Helping Hands.

This year the trust will be the beneficiary of the volunteers' hard work.

Tag Out Trust project leader Terry Davis says tagging is a continuous problem in West Auckland.

"We want people to gain a sense of pride and ownership for their area.

"If we can pass that on to young kids now, hopefully the message will get across."

He says youth tag for many reasons including to gain notoriety, peer pressure and as an outlet for anger.

"The community loses when this happens," Mr Davis says.

The church's public affairs director Marilyn Manukia says volunteers want to enjoy the beautiful west environment and this project will help with that.

"We don't want to be a flash in the pan.

"We hope to have an ongoing relationship after our initial work this weekend and have some of our members adopt areas to look after.

"Having strength in numbers can be a deterrent.

"When others see all these people care about their area hopefully they will feel inspired by that."

Volunteers will meet tomorrow at 9am, 7 Harvest Drive before heading to four areas in Henderson and Massey - Sturges Rd, Woodside Rd, Flagstaff Place and Taranui Place - to clean-up the graffiti. The public is welcome to take part and refreshments will be available.